Separator



Jufiy 3, E924. 1,499,517

G. H. FRASER SEPARATOR Original Filed Aug. 2'7, 1914 2 Sheets-Sheet. l

WITNESSES INVENTOR Juu 1 1924. 11,499,517

G. H. FRASER SEPARATOR Original Filed Aug. 27, 1914 2 Sheets-Sheet. 2

WITNESSES: INVENTOR Patented duly l, i924,

SEPARATOR.

Original application filed August 27, 1914, Serial No. 858,797. Divided dud this application filed July 12, 1919. Serial No. 310,328. Renewed November 9, 1923.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, GEORGE HOLT FRASER, a citizen of the United States, residing at No. 226 Quincy Street, in the borough of Brooklyn count of Kings, city and State of New York, nited States of America,

. manufacturer, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Separators, be; ing a division of my application Serial Number 858,797, filed August 27, 1914 (renewed December 18, 1918, ,Serial Number 267,401), ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for separating, sizing, or classifying, collecting or filtering materials by means of a fluid current. and aims to provide certain improvements therein.

Heretofore it has been common to, separate fine from. coarse material by an air current, by passing the material through a casing in which the current was drawn through the material to float out the fine particles and deposit these in a dust cham her, after which the current was returned and continuously ,re-used.

With apparatus of this character it has been diflicult to from being carrie out with the fine, and to prevent variations: in product due to changing conditions.

This inventionv relates to apparatus in' which a fluid current is utilized to effect separation, and aims to provide improve ments whereby one or more products may be separated with greater convenience and certainty than heretofore.

To this end in carrying out the preferred form of the present improvements the material to be treated is formed into a descending blanket, alternately concentrated and expanded as it descends by gravity, intermittently retarded and re-dis- 'tributed to avoid any undue acceleration, and sufficiently agitated to expose all portions to current action, and while subject to these conditions a fluid current is passed through it to float outwardly from the descending blanket all material capable to floating in the prevailing current. The remaining material descending through the current is withdrawn as tailings.

The extracting process to insure removal Cprevent coarse particles of all fine material involves the risk of carrying out some oversize, and this invention preferably provides for selecting from the extracting current such grade or grades of material as desired and insuring that the final product shall be free from objectionable sizes, and it also provides for more completely collecting ;the material of the desired fineness and more thoroughly filtering the returned fluid.

The invention further provides for more completely utilizing the space necessarily occupied by the apparatus, for outside current producing provision, for greater accessibility, and for convenience of cleaning, agitation and removal of parts, and it provides various: features of improvement, all of which will be hereinafter more fully set forth, and described in detail in. their preferred form, with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the prel-llliti proximately on the line 11 of Figs. 2 and p 3 of an air separator constructed accordin to the preferred form of my invention, an

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section thereof cut approximately on the planes of the lines '22 of Fig. l, and

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section thereof out aproximately on the planes of the lines 3 -3 of Fig. 1.

Refering to the drawings:

Let A indicate the casing, mechanism, C the feed hopper, D the distributor, E the feed chamber, F the blower, Gr the dust chamber, H the return passage, T the coarse outlet, and J the fine outlet of an air separator. All of these parts may be of any usual or suitable construction adapted to distribute the material in a descending blanket, cause a fluid current to B the driving on a ring, ball or other non-frictionannular thrust bearing m, which is centeredupon and supported by the lower bearing 6. The lower end of the shaft K is reduced so that it can be passed through the vertical bearing and extends into the casing, and has screwed or otherwise separably connected to it a flange 0 to which the spider p is bolted or otherwise separably connected so asto revolve with the shaft.

The frame is shown in Fig. 1 as open at its front side so that the shaft may be removed horizontally and then raised vertically, it and the hopper above sliding horizontally into the open side of the frame. The hopper C is movably and rotatively and adjustably mounted on the frame f and has a tubular extension 9 telescopically and adjustably entering the feed pipe L, which latter is adjusted vertically by screws 1' and passes freely through the tubular shaft K opening at its lower end opposite the feed disc 8 of the distributor from which it can be adjusted to regulate or' control the speed of feed. This disc. is adjustably and separably connected to the spider p by screws n, and revolves with the shaft K so that material falling on it is thrown out centrifugally and horizontally into the feed chamber.

The distributor D .may be any suitable device for feeding the material in a thin blanket or wide thin stream, according to whether the blanket of material to. be treated is to descend in a. rectilinear or tubular path. It is preferably adriven member, and when the material is to descend by gravity in the form of a tubular blanket the distributor is preferably revolved to throw it outwardly to its path of descent. I prefer to form the feed chamber E as a circular or annular chamber surrounding the distributor and bordered by'a bafile plate shown as a cylindrical ring 25 against which the material strikes and which is removable for renewal. Below the bafiie ring my invention preferably provides a contracting or feeding ring or plate a, upon which the material falls from the bafiie ring and by which it is directed inwardly and delivered onto the first of a series of retarding or distributing rings or members a) which check the speed -of flow and deflect the material outwardly allowing it to .fall onto a second converging or deflecting ring or plate to down which the material flows and from which it falls onto the next plate 1), the contracting and discharging plates or rings being arranged in succession so that the material will flow down one and fall onto the other, be retarded thereby and again fall onto the next, and so on throughout the series of feeding plates whereby the material descending by gravity between them traverses a sinuous path and is alternately retarded and restarted so that undue acceleration of speed of flow is prevented and sufiicient agitation is obtained, as the material descends between the plates. When these are arranged in ring form as shown the material descending between them constitutes an endless blanket or tubular envelope between the distributor and the upper cone M below them, and the space between the rings or plates constitutes an annular sinuous separating passage N.

The rings a) are relatively short and the rings u are preferably long or upwardly extended to bring their upper edges above the lower edges of the next upper ring a, and preferably to or above the lower edge of the next upper ring u, so that the current in passing between the two rings a must rise as it traverses the passage 0 and any heavy particles carried out horizontally by it may be dropped onto the upper part of the ring a as the current rises to pass over the top thereof.

For some work where further selection is unnecessary the series of rings u and 1) only may be used in connection with the current producing and dust collecting provisions, but I prefer to provide for further selecting the material thus separated, and preferably for separately classifying or grading these selections according to their numher. My invention provides for this one or more successive selectors, preferably annular and parallel with the primary feeding and retarding members and concentric with and surrounding these intermediate of the inner and outer chambers. Preferably this is accomplished in'the manner shown by interposing a reversely inclined plate or ring '11) opposite each passage 0, which intercepts the outflowing current and deflects it downwardly at an acute angle, and by providing the succeeding annular wall 2 outwardly of and spaced apart from the adjacent ring 111 which again intercepts the current and deflects it upwardly, so that the current travels approximately horizontally and preferably slightly upwardly in a sinuous path as it expands outwardly, and large pieces carried by it will be intercepted and fall or be thrown out of it as the current turns around the edges of the rings w in passing these. These rings are spaced apart above each passage and inclined downwardly to cause the current to descend between themand are sufliciently spaced .apart to give the desired width of passage for the current. Particles deflected downwardly by these ringsrwill descend crossing the current for each succeeding passage so that should any fines be deflected with them the current of a succeeding passage may extract these.

These rings or plates constitute a selector R, and their product may be separately received and withdrawn by a selector cone W,

i which is preferably accomplished by providing an annular trough or upward passage V around them within the cone or wall The current from the several passages O discharges downwardly within this wall a and flows upwardly over the top of the wall and down into the chamber Q. This wall a affords a selector V, the tailings of which may be separately collected as shown by a cone W and passage X and outlet Y when this grade is desired.

Proportioning, inclination, relative elevation, and intermediate spacing, of these several parts will be suited to circumstances or requirements, but are preferably such as to effect varying current speeds as well as considerable changes of direction in the current as itprogresses outwardly, and in the final selection chamber the area is sufficient to give such volume as will insure a current speed suited to float only particles of the fineness desired in the finest product tobe.

roduced so that only this will be carried into the chamber Q and can reach the dust chamber G.

In the chamber Q the current descends with comparative slowness, its floating dust being precipitated by gravity into the settling chamber for removal through the fine outlet. 4

The air is withdrawn from the chamber Q or returned to the chamber P through the return passage H, which communicates between t ese and preferably exhausts by suction from the inner side of the chamber Q.

ll preferably provide for mechanical extraction or filtration of floating particles from the fluid intermediate of the chamber Q andthe return H. T prefer to provide a foraminous orinterstitial wall between these through which the current must pass, and

this is preferably a double wall or series of hollow troughs or plates disposed with their concavesides facing the chamber Q and their convex sides facing the inlet H and extending downwardly and outwardly from the cone W, constituting the top wall of the return, to the Come a constituting its bottom wall. These plates 7) are staggered in relation and spaced apart so that circuitous passages c exist between them through which the current may flow while their hollow faces will provide a space in which particles may settle and descend without danger of being floated by eddies into the return. The open lower ends of the troughs b. discharge into the dust chamber where there is practically no current sulficient to lift their dust. Thus the returning current is suflic-iently free from floating back fines to avoid any loss of efficiency on this score, so that the current may be strong enough to extract all the fines without danger of material loss of efficiency, and the selectors may be used to extract large pieces in such a strong current before they reach the dust chamber.

Any suitable current producin means and connection may be utilized'with those features of my improvements already described, but I prefer to employ an outside blower or one separate from and independ ent of the feeder, and to drive this and the latter from the same source of power, preferably a motor Z, coupled to the shaft ol of the blower F, which shaft is shown as extended to the pulley e' for driving the feeder.

The suction and discharge connections between the outside'blower and the chambers Q and P may be made in any suitable way, but according to the preferred form of my invention ll provide for utilizing centrifugal action to equalize the outflow and inflow of current and avoid undue variations or inequalities thereof, to preserve a uniform suction throughout the exhaust chamber Q. This is preferably accomplished by connecting the suction pipe e of the fan tangentially with an annular exhaust passage f outwardly of and surrounding the distributing and contracting inlet 7' of the return and communicating with the latter by a reverse passage it over an intermediate annulardam 2", so that the suction current from the trough 7"" will cause a rapid whirling action in the latter which will prevent excessive withdrawal of air at any one point around the sinuous annular passages communicating between this and the inlet passa e H.

y invention provides a similar means for utilizing centrifugal force to equalize the blast as the current comes from the Y blower to the chamber P which is preferably accomplished by connecting the blast pipe j of the blower tangentially to an annular blast chamber 70. in which the blast will whirl and uniformly discharge lover the inner wall of the lower cone or receptacle Z and down through-the passage mto the lower open end 'n, of the upper receptacle or cone M, through which as it rises it will still be subjected to some whirling act-ion which will aid in avoiding excess of current atany one point.

In this way an outside blower as distin guished from one enclosed within the casing and revolving with the distributor may be utilized at a great saving of power and much simplification of construction, and the desired blower and distributor feeds and adjustments may be had independently, and the blower need not be subjected to great wear from direct contact with the material,

7 as it can operate only on the cleanest air.

the blast chamber within the suction chamber, so that these all are concentrically superposed and compactly nested around the tailin s and selector passage, and the blower may e placed where desired and suitably connected with them.

When used as a separate passage the selector passage is preferably disposed between the suction'and blast equalizers by a series of cones spaced apart to give the necessary intermediate passage and suitably connected and separated for convenience and manipulation. As shown the lower cone 0, which is held on the cone (1, serves as the inner wall of the dust chamber G and connects with the outlet Y and with .the selector passage Loosely setting on it is a reverse cone 7) serving as the top of the latter passage and the inner wall of the suction chamber f and loosely setting on this is a cone. 9 constituting one outer wall of the latter, the top wall of which is the cone 7", all of these cones being suitably supported and mounted so that each can be vibrated or lifted and is movable for cleaning.

The inner troughs b are preferably rigidly connected to the cone W and supported at their lower ends against the cone ,a, but the outer row of troughs are movably or elastically connected at their upper end to the cone W as by springs 0 which poise them resiliently so that they may quiver in use to clean themselves, and their lower ends'bear against the cone 0. The cone 0 is preferably sectionalized by a section 7" separably connected so that it can be removed to permit removal of the interior cones.

The cone W above the filter troughs covers and seals the upper ends of these and of the spaces between them to resist downward flow of current or leakage of dust vertically of them, and the cone a crosses the lower ends of the inner troughs'and projects across the apertures between the troughs to resist upward flow of current or leakage of material longitudinally of them, but any other suitable means may be used to prevent lealr age longitudinally of the troughs and to cause the return-current to flow through the horizontally extending current passages afforded by the apertures betweentheir faces to travel approximately at right angles to the longitudinal extension of such faces, so that there may be the minimum of disturbance to the current voids or calms formed in front of-these faces and they can serve as downward ways affording conduits across and for conducting out of the path of the current intercepted particles and down which intercepted particles can slide without molestation and by which such particles can be safely conducted through the returning current and directed into the dust chamber out of the current zone.

lVhere advisable the edges of the cones are slightly spaced to permit settlings to drift through and where necessary their edges are valved with a flap d or flexible strip to avoid current leakage while permitting gravity flow of precipitated material.

The outer wall of the blast chamber is shown as a cone 8 carrying the outlet I and serving as the inner wall of the passage X, and on this cone is mounted the cone t which serves as the top wall of the blast chamber and isolates it from the passage. The cone M serves as one inner wall of the blast chamber and the reverse cone u as its bottom wall. lVhile these cones may be fixed together I prefer to loosely and separably suit ably connect and support them so that they may be readily vibrated, adjusted or removed. The spacers between them, constitute impact or arring posts or members, by hammering on which-percussively they may be vibrated to loosen adhering material. Adjustable and separable screws 6 under the cones 0' and 8' support these. Jarring of the parts may be effected in any suitable way, as by occasionally hammering on the screws 0 but I prefer to continuously jar the parts as by providing a jarring post 8 on the cone 0, and a swinging hammer t p which swings in the space between this cone and the outer cone f and alternately strikes the post and the outercone, and which is swung by a rod u projecting into the path of and struck by the swinging knockers o hinged to a revolving part '11) fixed on the shaft of the blower F as shown in Fig. 1.

My invention provides for accessibility to the several parts of the device by the operator without substantial manipulation, and for this purpose I preferably construct:

the tailings outlet I with a large tubular passage a2 closed by a cover 7 by opening which a man can crawl in and pass through the interior of the separator to adjust, repair or clean it. Similarly the suction and blast passages e and y" are made respectively with a door 2 in direct line with them and of sufficient size to permit entrance of the body tlEl so that the operator can crawl in either the suction or exhaust equalizer.

The several upper cones or receptacles are preferabl suspended by rods A from the top 5 an positioned centrally by divergent bars a and b from the side.

In operation the speed of feed entering from the hopper C will be controlled by ad- Current rising into the chamber P will flow out between the rings '11, traverse the blanket of descending material, extract the fines and float them out through the passages O. The selectors R and V when and if used will make their proper selections and classifications, and the floating fines passing these will descend throu h the chamber Q and fall into the dust c amber G, the air carrying these being drawn through the filter and clarified on its way to the return passage H. The exhaust through the latter will be uniform. Any sediment settling within the exhaust chamber will leak through the cracks thereof and fall into the dust chamber. The blast by reason of its centrifugal action will exert a uniform pressure as it flows over and under the walls and rises within the cone M and into the chamber P. Any dust settling in the blast passage will leak through into the main taillngs outlet. The feed and withdrawl will be constant, and, once adjusted to the work, operation may continue without change regardless of variations in quantity or quality.

suflicient current to insure complete extraction can be used without danger since the selector will eliminate any large particles blown outat the first extraction. Efliciency will be increased by the internal filtration.

Thebottom cone d can be uncoupled and removed for entrance or cleaning, and the three adjacent cones can be removed with it through the large opening in the bottom cone 0. The section 7 of the cone 0 can be removed and may carry with it all of the cones below the filter'tubes.

Tt will be seen that my invention provides improvements which can be readily and advantageously availed of and it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the particular details of construction, arrangement or combination of parts, set forth as constituting its referred embodiment since it can be utilize in whole or. in part according to such modifications as circumstances or the judgment of those skilled in the art may dictate without departing from the spirit of the invention.

en feed to the hopper 0 includes material too coarse for passing through the separator a scalper C is used, which according to one feature of my invention is composed of a slotted foraminous plate or screen bent into steps intermediate of the longitudinal extent of its elongated slots, so that the lower bent portion constitutes an outlet for each slot to permit escape of nails or hanging pieces. This is disposed with its long faces or steps at approximately degrees inclination and its intermediate portions at approximately right an les thereto, and mounted in a trough or c ute B of greater inclination than the scalper. ,My invention provides a dam' or retarder D opposite each step to prevent too rapid flow. The large pieces scalped out of the feed descend past the separator to a spout E.

- The scalper, having slots narrower than the selector outlets, guards these against possible oversize.

What I claim is:

1. In combination, a casing enclosing a chamber, an upper receptacle mounted in said chamber and having upper and lower openings communicating therewith, a lower receptacle having an open upper part afl'ording communication between said chamber and said lower opening, means for supplying material to be separated to said upper receptacle, means for causing a fluid current to flow through said upper receptacle and upper opening into said chamber and return between said receptacles to said lower opening, filtering means within said casing for intercepting particles floating in such current comprising downwardly extending faces in t e path of and opposed to sue current and aflfordingdownward ways for intercepted particles and affording intermediate of such ways apertures afiording in wardly extending passages for-such current,

and means below such passages for resisting upward flow of such current relatively to them.

2. In combination, a casing enclosing a chamber, an' upper receptacle mounted in said chamber and having upper and lower openings communicatingtherewith, a lower receptacle having an open upper art affording communication between sald chamber and said lower opening, means for supplying material to be separated to said upper rece tacle, means for causing a fluid current to ow through said upper receptacle and upper opening into said chamber and return between said receptacles to said lower opening, filtering means within said casing for intercepting particles floating in such current comprising downwardly extending faces in the path of and opposed to such cur- "rent and affording downward ways for 1n-- .to flow through said upper receptacle and upper opening into said chamber and return between said receptacles to said lower opening,filtering means in said casing for intercepting particles floating in such current comprising downwardly extending faces in the path of and opposed to such current and affording downward ways for intercepted particles and affording intermediate of such faces apertures alfording inwardly extending passages for such current, and means below such faces for resisting vertical flow of such current relatively to them.

4. In combination, a casing enclosing a chamber, an upper receptacle mounted in said chamber and having upper and lower openings communicating therewith, a lower receptacle having an open 'upper part affording communication between said chamber and said lower opening, means for supplying material to be separated to said upper receptacle, means for causing a fluid current to flow through said upper receptacle and upper opening into said chamber and return between said receptacles to said lower opening, filtering means within, said casing for intercepting particles floating in such current comprising downwardly extending spaced members affording faces in the path of and opposed to such current and affording downward ways fortintercepted particles and affording intermediate of such ways apertures affording horizontally extending passages for such current, and means covering the end of said members for resisting flow of such current vertically relatively thereto.

5. In combination, a casing enclosing a chamber, an upper receptacle mounted in said chamber and having upper and lower openings communicating therewith, a lower receptacle having an open upper part affordlng communication between said chamber and said lower opening, means for supplying material to be separated to said upper receptacle, means for causing a fluid current to flow through said upper receptacle and upper opening into said chamber and return between said receptacles to said lower opening, foraminous filtering means within sa1d casing for intercepting particles'floating in such current comprising downwardly extending faces in the path of and opposed to such current and affording intermediate of such faces apertures affording inwardly extending passages for such current, and springs sustaining said filtering means.

6. In combination, a casing enclosing a chamber, an upper receptacle mounted in said chamber and having upper and lower openings communicating therewith, a lower receptacle having an open upper part affording communication between said chamber and said lower opening, means for supplying material to be separated to said upper receptacle, means for causing a fluid current to flow through said upper receptacle and upper opening into said chamber and return between said receptacles to said lower opening, foraminous filtering means within said casing for intercepting particles floating in such current comprising downwardly extending faces in and across the path of and opposed to such current and affording intermediate of such faces apertures affording inwardly extending passages for such current, and means above said filtering means for preventing leakage of such particles inwardly of said filtering means.

7. In combination, a casing enclosing a, chamber, an upper receptacle mounted in said chamber and having upper and lower openings communicating therewith, a lower receptacle having an open upper part affording communication between said chamber and said lower opening, means for supplying material to be separated to said upper receptacle, means for causing a fluid current to flow through said upper receptacle and upper opening into said chamber and return between said receptacles to said lower opening, filtering means within said casing for intercepting particles floating in such current comprising downwardly extendin faces in and across the ath of and opposed to such current and affldrding intermediate of such faces apertures affording inwardly extending passages for such current, and means above said apertures for preventing downward leak of such particles intermedi ate of said faces.

8. In combination, a casing enclosing a chamber, an upper receptacle mounted in said chamber and having upper and lower openings communicating therewith, a lower receptacle having an open upper part affording communication between said chamber and said lower opening, means for supplying material to be separated to said upper receptacle, means for causing a fluid current to flow through said upper receptacle and upper opening into said chamber and return between said receptacles to 'said lower open- 125 ing, filtering means within said casing for intercepting particles floating in such current comprising spaced downwardly extending faces in the path of and opposed to such current and affording intermediate of 130 i aeaair their edges apertures afiording inwardly extending passages for such current, and-means above said passages for preventing down ward leakage of such particles through the spaces between said faces. a

9. In combination, a casing enclosing a chamber, an upper receptacle .mounted in said chamber and having upper and lower openings communicating therewith, a lower receptacle having an open upper part affording communication between said-chamher and said lower opening, means for supplying material to be separated to said upper receptacle, means for causing a fluid current to flow through saidv upper receptacle and upper opening into said chamber and return between said receptacles to said lower opening, filtering means within said casing for intercepting particles floating in such current comprising successive rows of spaced members affording downwardly extending faces in the path of and opposed to such current and affording intermediate of such faces apertures afiording inwardly extending passages for such current, and

means between said faces for preventing downward leakage of such particles between said faces.

10. In combination, a caslng enclosing a chamber, a receptacle in said chamber having upper and loweropenings communicating with said chamber, means for passing pulverulent material to be separated into said receptacle, means affording a way through said receptacle for the heavier particles of such material, means affording an endless current passage through and around saidreceptacle, means for circulating a fluid medium through said passage to carry 0E into said chamber the lighter particles of such material, substantially vertically disposed foraminous filtering means across said passage for intercepting particles carried by such medium, said filtering means being constructed and arranged to conduct the intercepted particles across and below the path of the medium and affording horizontally extending current passages for such medium, and means for jarring said filtering means.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE HOLT FRASER.

Witnesses:

EDMUND J. FENN, SIGVARD Gr. HELLEM. 

